Children's Home run by Invigor Adolescent Care Limited in Manchester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2605180 1 Registered provider: Invigor Adolescent Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private organisation and provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager, but a manager has been appointed and is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home during the inspection, but they did not wish to speak with the inspector.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 12 November 2025

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: Ofsted undertook an assurance inspection on 17 February 2026. This inspection took place due to an increase in safeguarding notifications to Ofsted. The inspector identified serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care and protection of children.

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inadequate

At a case review meeting on 18 February 2026, Ofsted took the view that if more children moved into the home, this would compromise the safety of the children already Inspection report for children’s home: 2605180 2 living at the home as well as the safety of the children moving in. Therefore, a restriction of accommodation notice was served on the provider, expiring on 13 June 2026. Inspection report for children’s home: 2605180 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/11/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/07/2025 Full Inadequate 18/12/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/09/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2605180 4

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Summary of findings

Shortly after the last inspection, one child moved out of the home. There is currently one child living at the home.

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Summary of findings

At this inspection, Ofsted identified the following serious and widespread concerns about the care and experiences of children:

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Summary of findings

 Little progress is being made in raising care standards, limiting meaningful positive change for children.  Ineffective management of allegations, which places children at risk of harm.  Insufficient planning and preparation when children move out of the home.  Poor oversight of staff training, leading to gaps in staff skills and knowledge.  Managers do not have effective oversight of the quality of care children are receiving, resulting in inconsistency in practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are now provided with a secure home environment. Leaders and managers have improved oversight of health and safety checks, and regular cleaning routines have been established. However, some minor repairs to the home remain unresolved. While managers have plans in place to address these issues, further work is required to ensure that all improvements are fully completed and sustained.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children still do not consistently experience well-planned support when moving out of the home. One child moved out of the home after leaders and managers decided that staff could not meet his needs. A short notice period was given, and the child was not adequately supported to understand or prepare for the move. In addition, the provider did not challenge poor care planning for this child effectively. Poor planning has resulted in a distressing experience for this child. While improvements have been made to processes for gathering and analysing relevant information prior to children moving in, this revised decision-making framework has not yet been tested in practice. The requirement made under regulation 14 (care planning) has not been met and will be restated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child living in the home continues to experience a poor daily routine. They stay awake during the night and sleep for prolonged periods during the day. While staff now try various approaches to try and encourage a better structure, little progress has been made in addressing this pattern. The child is not being set up for long-term success.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The child does not engage with any formal education, work or training. There are plans in place for the child to receive lessons via a tutor and additional support from a mentor. Inspection report for children’s home: 2605180 5 However, staff have not been able to successfully encourage the child to engage in this programme. The child is not achieving their potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff are developing positive relationships with the child’s family and friends. One parent said that communication is effective and that staff are making consistent efforts to get to know and understand their child.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Safeguarding practice remains inconsistent. Managerial oversight has improved, with clear feedback now recorded in the records of significant incidents, including identified actions to promote practice improvement. The manager also uses learning from incidents to support staff development. However, there remain inconsistencies in how staff respond to incidents and in the quality of recording, indicating that practice is not yet sufficiently embedded across the team.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Improvements are being made to the quality of children’s risk management plans. These now include clearer, more detailed strategies to mitigate and reduce identified risks. More recently, managers have introduced processes to share information about safeguarding measures with staff through team meetings, handovers and supervision sessions. Staff understanding of how to keep children safe is improving.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

The child is reported missing from home less frequently. However, they continue to return home later than their agreed curfew, and staff do not consistently know their whereabouts when they are in the community. There was also an incident in which staff did not follow the home’s missing-from-home procedures when the child was absent overnight. This shortfall was identified by the manager and addressed promptly with the team. Despite some improvements, current arrangements are not yet effective in supporting the child to reduce their exposure to situations of risk.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff do not yet use an effective or consistent approach to behaviour support. Although staff have a clearer understanding of the expectations and rules for the child, this has not translated into consistent practice. Staff have had limited success in supporting the child to understand and adhere to the home’s expectations.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff are developing improved skills in identifying and responding to risks and indicators of harm. Practices such as room searches are now used more appropriately, with unsafe items, including alcohol and substances, being removed when identified. However, there was an incident in which staff wrongly provided the child with a vape. This incident was reviewed by the manager, but the significance of this practice issue was not recognised.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Staff have regular conversations with the child about their risks and vulnerabilities. Staff have also referred the child for specialist support with issues such as mental health and substance misuse. However, they have not successfully encouraged the child to work with these external agencies. The child is not yet accessing important harm reduction support. Inspection report for children’s home: 2605180 6 Leaders and managers have implemented a clear allegation management policy. This provides step-by-step guidance about how to respond to concerns about staff. There has been one allegation in the period, but this process was not followed. While information was shared with the local authority designated officer, the quality of information gathering and recording was poor. Additionally, the information in the child’s file does not support the conclusion drawn. Poorly investigated allegations place children at risk of

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been no registered manager in post since May 2025. A new manager has been leading the team since January 2026 and has applied to register with Ofsted. There has also been a recent change in the responsible individual overseeing the service. Leadership and management arrangements have lacked consistency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers are improving their oversight of day-to-day care. Managers are trying to raise standards of care by focusing on supporting staff to better understand the rationale behind their practice. However, this approach has not yet translated into measurable improvements in key areas, such as the child’s engagement in education, the meaningful use of rewards and consequences, and the establishment of consistent daily routines. Progress is not being made at the pace needed by the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Oversight and monitoring of staff training are not yet effective. Two members of staff have training that is significantly out of date, including essential safeguarding training. This shortfall was identified at the last inspection and raised in appraisals. However, leaders have not taken appropriate action to escalate these concerns through formal performance management processes. As a result, these gaps in training have not been addressed in a timely manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Safer recruitment processes are now being followed in relation to new staff. However, when concerns have been raised in pre-employment checks, leaders and managers have not documented the mitigating factors or rationale for employment. Children may be exposed to unmanaged risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are now provided with regular supervision, which offers an opportunity for reflection. The manager also holds regular reflective practice sessions with the team to help them think about relevant learning from practical situations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has now completed overdue annual appraisals for all staff. These appraisals are detailed and provide a balanced and realistic evaluation of practice, alongside clear and relevant targets for improvement. However, targets are not always monitored or completed within appropriate timescales, and there is limited evidence of follow-up by the manager to ensure that identified actions are progressed in a timely way. Inspection report for children’s home: 2605180 7 A case review was held following this inspection, and a decision was made to reissue a restriction of accommodation notice, on the basis that children would be exposed to increased risk of harm should any more children move into the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2605180 8

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when children make allegations about staff, these are investigated and recorded thoroughly, in accordance with the home’s own safeguarding policy.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 14 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2605180 9 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all staff complete refresher training within timescales and remain up to date with all relevant training.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that they use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided to children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 14 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 14 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2605180 10 In particular, the registered person must ensure that children experience a well-planned and supported move out of this home.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(vi)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the child experiences a good daily routine.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must make sure that staff use a consistent, well-defined approach to rewards and consequences. 14 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: 2605180 11 In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(a)(c)) 14 June 2026

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Recommendation

 The registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. The registered person should make sure that when concerns arise in pre-employment checks, a thorough risk assessment is completed to demonstrate how these risks will be managed if employment is being offered. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2605180 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Invigor Adolescent Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Warren Bruce Court, Warren Bruce Road, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1LB

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Inspector

Nicola Shaw, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2605180 13 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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